Here are the answers to the questions based on the PrepScholar article "What is Graduate
School? Why Go? Master’s and PhD?":
1. There are, generally speaking, three kinds of graduate degrees offered by graduate schools:
the **Master's**, the **Doctorate (PhD)**, and the **Professional** degree.
2. A **PhD** is the most advanced degree in a given academic field.
3. The **MA (Master of Arts)** is the typical Master’s graduate program for humanities and
social science disciplines.
4. Depending on the specific discipline and program, an MA degree generally lasts **2** years
for a full-time student.
5. The **MS (Master of Science)** is the typical Master’s graduate program for scientific and
quantitative disciplines.
6. An MS degree also generally lasts **2** years for a full-time student.
7. PhD stands for **Doctor of Philosophy**. It’s also known as a doctorate or a **PhD**.
8. The Doctor of Philosophy prepares students to do academic work in their discipline—
**research** — and for positions at **universities**.
9. The structure of a PhD typically involves some amount of preliminary coursework, followed by
a written and oral exam in the discipline. Then students will begin research and work on their
**dissertation**, an original research project. Throughout this time, students generally **teach**
and/or work as **research assistants** to make money.
10. But the time it usually takes to complete a PhD is in the **6–8** year range.
11. A graduate degree provides advanced training in an **academic field**. A professional
degree provides advanced training for a specific **career**. For example, a **JD (Juris Doctor)**
trains you to become a lawyer.
12. Gray areas aside, the general distinction is that professional degrees focus on **practical
skills** and **job readiness**, while graduate degrees focus on building your **knowledge** and
your **research skills**.
13. But in general, if you want to teach at a college level and work on research in a given
discipline, a **PhD** of some kind is pretty much necessary.
14. A graduate degree will **likely** increase your earning potential.
, 15. In a similar vein, you may want to get an **MA (Master's degree)** to strengthen an
application to professional school.
16. Graduate degrees are expensive! Tuition and fees can easily run past **$20,000** a
semester at a private university, not to mention living expenses.
17. In some cases, your PhD might lead to a higher salary, but it’ll take multiple years for you to
recover the **income** that you lost out on while you were in school.
18. Especially if you are paying for the graduate degree yourself, if there isn’t much in the way
of job offers at the end, the degree may be a **financial burden**.
19. A strong undergraduate record makes for a stronger **graduate school application**.
20. You want recommenders who can speak to your **academic ability** as well as your
**character**. If you’re an undergraduate at the time of application, professors you’ve worked
with are the **best** option.
"Prospective Law Students Should See Case for Caution"
1. The Class of 2007 enjoyed the highest employment rate in 20 years, reported NALP—
the Association for Legal Career Professionals; the Class of 2010, by contrast, faced the
"worst job market" since the mid-1990s.
2. The latest stats from the American Bar Association show that public law school
graduates with loans had borrowed an average of $87,000 total, while those at private
schools borrowed $122,000. But many students hit $200,000 or even $300,000.
3. The median salary for 2010 graduates was $63,000, 13 percent less than for the class of
2009, according to NALP. Starting pay at private firms also fell, to $160,000 from
$130,000 in 2009.
4. Using a tool like the one found at FinAid.org, a student anticipating a loan balance of
$80,000 and an interest rate of 7.5 percent can discover that he would have to dole out
about $925 a month to pay off the loan in 10 years.
5. "The message isn't to be a dream-breaker," says Brian Tamanaha, professor of law at
Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. "It's to make informed decisions."
6. Another way to gain an edge among all the green law grads (and save up some money
for tuition) is to postpone law school for a year or more in favor of work experience first.
7. Anyone can limit the damage from the outset, of course, by aggressively researching job
prospects or opting for an affordable law school.
Here are the answers based on the US News and World Report article titled *"Less Competitive
Law School Admissions a Boon for Applicants"*:
1. Turmoil in the legal job market and pessimism about the future of the legal profession have
deterred some people from applying to law school. For aspiring lawyers, this creates **less
competition** when competition for a spot at a reach school is less intense than it is under
ordinary circumstances, experts say.
School? Why Go? Master’s and PhD?":
1. There are, generally speaking, three kinds of graduate degrees offered by graduate schools:
the **Master's**, the **Doctorate (PhD)**, and the **Professional** degree.
2. A **PhD** is the most advanced degree in a given academic field.
3. The **MA (Master of Arts)** is the typical Master’s graduate program for humanities and
social science disciplines.
4. Depending on the specific discipline and program, an MA degree generally lasts **2** years
for a full-time student.
5. The **MS (Master of Science)** is the typical Master’s graduate program for scientific and
quantitative disciplines.
6. An MS degree also generally lasts **2** years for a full-time student.
7. PhD stands for **Doctor of Philosophy**. It’s also known as a doctorate or a **PhD**.
8. The Doctor of Philosophy prepares students to do academic work in their discipline—
**research** — and for positions at **universities**.
9. The structure of a PhD typically involves some amount of preliminary coursework, followed by
a written and oral exam in the discipline. Then students will begin research and work on their
**dissertation**, an original research project. Throughout this time, students generally **teach**
and/or work as **research assistants** to make money.
10. But the time it usually takes to complete a PhD is in the **6–8** year range.
11. A graduate degree provides advanced training in an **academic field**. A professional
degree provides advanced training for a specific **career**. For example, a **JD (Juris Doctor)**
trains you to become a lawyer.
12. Gray areas aside, the general distinction is that professional degrees focus on **practical
skills** and **job readiness**, while graduate degrees focus on building your **knowledge** and
your **research skills**.
13. But in general, if you want to teach at a college level and work on research in a given
discipline, a **PhD** of some kind is pretty much necessary.
14. A graduate degree will **likely** increase your earning potential.
, 15. In a similar vein, you may want to get an **MA (Master's degree)** to strengthen an
application to professional school.
16. Graduate degrees are expensive! Tuition and fees can easily run past **$20,000** a
semester at a private university, not to mention living expenses.
17. In some cases, your PhD might lead to a higher salary, but it’ll take multiple years for you to
recover the **income** that you lost out on while you were in school.
18. Especially if you are paying for the graduate degree yourself, if there isn’t much in the way
of job offers at the end, the degree may be a **financial burden**.
19. A strong undergraduate record makes for a stronger **graduate school application**.
20. You want recommenders who can speak to your **academic ability** as well as your
**character**. If you’re an undergraduate at the time of application, professors you’ve worked
with are the **best** option.
"Prospective Law Students Should See Case for Caution"
1. The Class of 2007 enjoyed the highest employment rate in 20 years, reported NALP—
the Association for Legal Career Professionals; the Class of 2010, by contrast, faced the
"worst job market" since the mid-1990s.
2. The latest stats from the American Bar Association show that public law school
graduates with loans had borrowed an average of $87,000 total, while those at private
schools borrowed $122,000. But many students hit $200,000 or even $300,000.
3. The median salary for 2010 graduates was $63,000, 13 percent less than for the class of
2009, according to NALP. Starting pay at private firms also fell, to $160,000 from
$130,000 in 2009.
4. Using a tool like the one found at FinAid.org, a student anticipating a loan balance of
$80,000 and an interest rate of 7.5 percent can discover that he would have to dole out
about $925 a month to pay off the loan in 10 years.
5. "The message isn't to be a dream-breaker," says Brian Tamanaha, professor of law at
Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. "It's to make informed decisions."
6. Another way to gain an edge among all the green law grads (and save up some money
for tuition) is to postpone law school for a year or more in favor of work experience first.
7. Anyone can limit the damage from the outset, of course, by aggressively researching job
prospects or opting for an affordable law school.
Here are the answers based on the US News and World Report article titled *"Less Competitive
Law School Admissions a Boon for Applicants"*:
1. Turmoil in the legal job market and pessimism about the future of the legal profession have
deterred some people from applying to law school. For aspiring lawyers, this creates **less
competition** when competition for a spot at a reach school is less intense than it is under
ordinary circumstances, experts say.
